Enoch ohnstrand



May 26, 193,1. E. OHNSTRAND BOOKS TACK Filed April 19, 1927 WW: 5H

| i Inventor [nod Uhqrarzd Patented May 26, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT;OFFICE ENOCH OHNSTRAND, OF KENMORE, NEW YORK, .ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGNMENTS, TO REMINGTON RAND INCL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATIONOEDELAWARE IBOOKSTACK Application filed April 19,

This invention relates to book stacks, and has reference moreparticularly to book stacks formed of sheet metal.

An object of the invention is to provide sheet metal book stacks whichmay be shipped to a customer knock-down and then assembled by thecustomer eas1ly and quickly.

Another object of the invention is to provide a construction for a sheetmetal book stack which may be manufactured cheaply and which will bevery strong and durable in use.

A further object of the invention is to provide a construction for sheetmetal book stacks in which the various members are provided withinterlocking tongues and apertures, the ends of the book stack havinglocking lugs which prevent accidental dlsassembly of the structure afterit has once been assembled.

A still further object of the invention 1s to provide a construction forsheet metal book stacks in which a shelf is provided with a book endadapted to slidingly engage one edge of the shelf and to be rigid inconstruction.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthe specification, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my improvedbook stack,

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation through the book stack taken on the line22 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through the book stack on theline 3-3 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view on one end of the improved bookshelf,

Fig. 5 is an end view of the interlocking hook on a shelf end,

Fig. 6 is an end view of an interlocking tongue on the shelf end,

Fig. 7 is a sectional view through the book 1927. Serial No. 184,924.

stack on line 7-7 of Fig. 1 showing the book rest, and

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view on a large scale similar to Fig. 7, showingthe book end or rest being attached to the edge of a shelf.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 10 indicates vertical standardswhich are preferably made of sheet metal and are 111 the form of asquare tube. A series of slots or apertures 11 is formed in the frontface 12 of each tube, said apertures being adapted to receive hooks 13and lugs 14 formed on shelf ends 15.

The hook 13 is formed near the upper edge of each shelf end 15, saidhook being adapted to engage the metal section 16 between adjoiningapertures 11. The tubes 12 are preferably made of fairly heavy gaugemetal so that they will be rigid and strong when supporting the weightof a large number of books. It is necessary to make the slots 11 fairlywide in punching heavy gauge metal so that undue breakage of the puncheswill be avoided. The slots 11 are therefore wider than the thickness ofthe metal forming the shelf ends 15, and in order to prevent undue playor movement of the hooks 13 in said slots 11, a pressed bead 17 isformed in each hook 13. This bead 17 also greatly stiifens andstrengthens the hook 13, since said bead extends the full length of thehook and into the body of the shelf end 15. The lugs 14 are alsoprovided with a bul e or bead 18 which flares outwardly from t e inwardend of said lug, said bead 18 being also adapted to nearly fill thespace in each slot 11. In applying the shelf end 15 to the standard 10,the hook 13 is first inserted in the desired slot, and the lower end ofthe shelf end 15 is then swung downwardly until the lug 14 engages itscorresponding slot. It is thus seen that the hook 13 prevents outwardmovement of the shelf end 15 away from the standard 10, and the lug 14prevents side play of the lower end of shelf end 15.

Each shelf 19is preferably formed of sheet metal and along each edge isforined a downwardly extending flange 20, on the lower edge of which isformed an inwardly extending flange 21 while an upwardly extendin flange22 is formed along the inner edge of flange 21. It is thus seen that themetal shelves 19 are greatly stiffened by the strengthening flangesformed along each edge. In order to connect the ends of each shelf 19 tothe lower edge of shelf ends 15, a downwardly extending flange 23 isformed on each end of sh elves 19, and a lurality of slots or apertures24 are formed in each flange 23. A series of ton cs 25 are struck outnear the lower edge of s elf end 15, said tongues lying in a planeinside the plane of shelf end 15 and being adapted to entercorresponding slots 24 in flan cs 23. The shelves 19 are attached toshel ends 15 by first inserting the tongues 25 in slots 24 and thenforcing the. shelf 19 rearwardly relative to shelf end 15 so that eachtongue resiliently grips the metal section 26 between adjoining slots24. When 25 the shelf 19 has been moved to its rearmost osition relativeto shelf end 15, an offset ead 27 formed in each shelf end 15 has asquare shoulder 28 which drops into and engages the inner edge of rearflange 20 so that subsequent accidental disassemby or movement of theshelf 19 relative to shelf end 15 is prevented.

It is desirable to provide a book rest or book end 29 for the shelves 19which will suport a few books B, less than the number of hooks requiredto fill the space between shelf ends 15. This book end 29 is alsopreferably formed of sheet metal and comprises a body portion 30 havinga laterally extending vertical flange 31 formed on its front edge, thelower edge of said flange 31 being adapted, preferably but notnecessarily, to engage a laterally extending flange 32 formed along thebottom edge of body portion 30. It is thus seen that the engagement ofthe lower edge of flange 31 with ange 32 stifl'ens the structure of thebook end and prevents the body portion 30 from bein distorted out of avertical plane by the weig t of heavy books. For the purpose ofdetachably securing the book end 29 to a shelf 19, a downwardlyextending flange 33 is formed along the front edge of flange 32, and aninwardly extending flange 34 is formed along the bottom edge of flange33. An offset flange 35 is connected to the flange 3d and terminates inan upwardly extending flange 36 formed on the inner edge of flan e 35.The purpose of the offset between flanges 34 and 35 is that the flange35 first permits the easy assembly of the book end 29 to a shelf 19 asseen in Fig. 8 and when the book rest 29 is moved to vertical positionwith flange 32 abutting the shelf 19, the flan e 34 will make a tightfit with the edge of she f '5 19 and prevent undue play of the book end29.

Each standard 10 is preferably provided with two vertical series ofslots 11 so that each standard 10 will support a air of shelf ends 15with the inner faces of the adjoinin book ends spaced closely to etherin paralle relation. It should be understood that the upper ends oftubes 12 will be secured to the wall of a room which contains the bookstacks and that the weight of the books will be supported by shelves 19indirectly by the cantlziever action of shelf ends 15 on standards Iwould state in conclusion that while the illustrated example constitutesa preferred embodiment of my invention, I do not limit myself preciselyto the details herein described, since manifestly the same can beconsiderably varied without de arting from the spirit of the inventionas dzafined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent,

1. In a book stack, a plurality of standardsadapted to be secured insubstantially vertical position, a plurality of shelf ends secured alongone edge to said standards so that said shelf ends lie in asubstantially vertical plane, a shelf extending between a pair ofadjacent shelf ends, a downwardly extending flange formed at each end ofsaid shelf, said flange being provided with a series of apertures, and aseries of offset tongues formed along the bottom edge of each shelf end,said tongues being adapted to enter said apertures and lock said shelfto said shelf ends, said tongues forming the means for securing saidshelf to said shelf ends.

2. In a book stack, a plurality of standards adapted to be secured insubstantially vertical position, a plurality of shelf ends secured alongone edge to said standards so that said shelf ends lie in asubstantially vertical plane, a shelf extending between a pair of adacent shelf ends, a downwardly extending flange formed at each end ofsaid shelf, said flange being provided with a series of apertures, aseries of oflset tongues formed along the bottom edge of each shelf end,said tongues being adapted to enter said apertures'and lock said shelfto said shelf ends, and a bead formed on each shelf end adapted toengage said shelf for locking the shelf to the shelf end and preventingthe accidental disassembly thereof.

3. In a book stack, a air of shelf ends adapted to be supported a jacentone edge so that said shelf ends lie in a substantially vertical plane,a shelf extending between said pair of shelf ends, interlocking tonguesand apertures associated with said shelf ends and shelf, and a beadassociated with said shelf end adapted to prevent the accidentaldisassembly of the tongues from said apertures.

4. In a book stack, a pair of shelf ends adapted to be supportedadjacent one edge so that said shelf ends lie in a substantiallyvertical plane, a shelf extending between said pair of shelf ends, saidshelf having end flan es formed with a series of openin s, said shelends having a series of horizontal y projecting tongues thereon inaligned relation adjacent the lower edges, said tongues havinginterlocking connectlon with said end flanges and extending through theo enings therein.

ENOCH O NSTRAND.

